Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

The National Food Hygiene Rating scheme will help you choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving you information about the hygiene standards in restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, hotels, and other places where food is eaten. Supermarkets and other food shops are also included in the scheme.

The scheme is run by local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in partnership with the Food Standards Agency.

Breckland Council was one of the first local authorities in England to adopt the scheme.

Each food business is given a 'hygiene rating' when it is inspected by a food safety officer from Breckland Council. The hygiene rating shows how closely the business is meeting the requirements of food hygiene law.

When you eat out or shop for food, you might see a sticker in the window or on the door showing you the hygiene rating for that business. Food businesses are encouraged to display the hygiene rating sticker at their premises, in a place where customers can easily see them when you visit, but it is not a legal requirement to do so in England (yet). If you don't see the sticker, you can search out and view this information online.